When and where to see one of Britain's fastest steam engines in Shropshire this week
One of Britain's fastest steam locomotives is due to return to Shropshire this week, bringing tourists from Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire to the county town.
60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, an A4 express engine built for the London & North Eastern Railway in 1937, will be hauling the Welsh Marches Express into Shrewsbury on Thursday.
It's a long day for those on board, with the train originating from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, before picking up more passengers from stations such as Oxford and Swindon.
A diesel locomotive hauls the day trippers to Bristol before the steam engine takes over for the journey north through the Severn Tunnel and up to Shropshire via Abergavenny and Hereford.
Named after the man who designed both it and the famous Flying Scotsman, Sir Nigel Gresley is making its second trip to Shrewsbury this year having brought tourists up from the West Country on a previous running of the Welsh Marches Express back in May.
The 86-year-old loco holds the post-war speed record for a steam engine in the UK when it reached 112mph in Lincolnshire in 1959. Rules restrict the loco to a top speed of 75mph today.
For those interested in seeing the Saphos Trains-organised excursion pass through the county, the train is due to pass through stations between Hereford and Shrewsbury at the following times:
Hereford - 11.13am-12.03pm
Moreton-on-Lugg - 12.09pm
Leominster - 12.18pm
